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Questions about using a saw blade to make a knife.

S

S2nd

Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
356
I have an old circular saw blade that I want to make a knife out of, but I read somewhere that the metal used in newer blades doesn't make a good knife. Is there some way for me to tell? I'm going to be making this by stock reduction, do I need to anneal the blade first? Last question, how much maintenance does this steel require?

Thanks in advance. :)
 
It might be L6 but the only way to get an idea of the steel is to take a sample and heat treat it and see if it gets hard. If you anneal the steel first it will be much easier to work with. Maintanence ? it will rust.
 
Take a small piece of your sawblade, heat it to the point that it won't attract a magnet, and dunk it in some light oil or water. Then put it in a vice and hit it with a hammer. If it breaks like glass, it'll probably make a decent knife.

New steel is awful cheap, and then you know for sure what you are working with and how to treat it.

Todd
 
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